Improvement in railway-rail joints



UNITED STATES JAMES M. OLEM, OF OPELIKA, ALABAMA, ASSIGN OR OF PART OF HIS RIGHT PATENT OFFICE.

TO WILLIAM D. OONDON, GEO. A. BIRCH, ALEXANDER P. BIRCH, AND W. B. SHAPARD St CO., OF SAME PLAGE.

IIVIPFIQVEEVIEN'I'l IN RAILWAY-RAIL JOINTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149.722, dated April 14, 1874; application led February 2l, 1874.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES M. CLEM, of O pelika, in the county of Lee and State of Alabama, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Locks for Railroad-Rails; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ot' the saine, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specilic'ation, and to the letters and tigures of reference marked thereon.

Y Figure l of the drawing is a representation of a sectional view ot' my device. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the same.

This invention has relation to means for lookin g down railroad-spikesso that they will not Work loose; and it consists in combining with the broadslotted bolts (through which the spikes are driven for the purpose of clamping splicing-bars to the rails at their joints) angular locking-plates, the angular portions of whichare received into the slots through the said bolts and splice-bars, and the upper ends of which are bent down over the spikeheads after the spikes are driven home, as will be hereinafter explained.

Thefollowing is a description ot" my im proved locking device:

In the annexed drawings, A designates a railroad-rail, ot' the T shape; B B', splicing or sh bars, which are applied between the lips of the rail-head and the-base flanges, and which break joints with the ends of the rail sections. The splicing-bars.and the webs of the rails have oblong holes through them, through which bolts C are passed. Bolts O have heads on their inner ends, and oblong slots through their outer ends, through which latter spikes D are driven, that pass through the base flanges of the rail sections and into the cross-tie. G designates a strip of metal, of suitable length and thickness, and otl a width nearly equal to the width of the slots through the bolts O. This strip is bent by suitable dies, so as to leave a rectangular por tion, g, midway of its length. Before driving the'spikes D one or more of the locking-plates G is adjusted against the outside and thickest splicing-plate B, the angular'portion g being inserted into the oblong hole through this plate, as shown in Fig. l. When the spike is driven through the bolt O, through the bottoni llange of the rail, and into the cross-tie, the locking strip or strips G will be firmly coniined between the spike and splicing-bar B, suoli strip or strips G being held down by reason ot' the angular portion g entering the hole in the bar B, as above described. When the spike is driven home, the upper end of the strip G is bent over the head of the spike, as shown at g', thus effectually preventing the spike from rising or working loose.

What I claim as new,'and desire `to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The rail-spike lock, consisting of a metal strip bent at g, and adapted for use in connection with lat-slotted bolts O, ish-plates B B',

and' spikes D7 as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.'

'f JAMES M. CLEM. Witnesses:

GEORGE E. UPEAM, PHIL C. MASI. 

